Tabernacle of God is Among Us

[S] Revelations 21:3-4 --
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

[O] The tabernacle of God from the Old Testament days is still here in the midst of the people.  Back then it was the physical structure but now it's the presence of God in our hearts so that we may call Him our God.  He will care for us and when He returns there will be no longer any reasons to cry or die.  It will be new world for us to live and enjoy God's presence in.

[A] We we end this year of 2011, this vision from God through John is the hope I can cling on to through another year of 2012.  There are lots of challenges we faced this year and no doubt I will face more in the upcoming year, however, knowing that God's tabernacle will remain with me to dwell in me is a huge encouragement for me to look forward to 2012.

[P] Dear Father, thank You for being with me closely in 2011 and also the promise of Your doing that in 2012 is really the only hope and strength I can claim.  I will do many things in the New Year, but may I not do them with my own intellect and strength but to rely on You at all times through my prayer and devotions in Your word daily.  May Your light shine through this broken life of mine.  In Jesus' name. Amen.

Keep Your Clothes Until the End

[S] Revelations 16:15 --
15 ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.")

[O] The book of Revelations has many images and explanations difficult to grasp but one thing for sure is that Christ is returning and when He comes the world we live in will be in order according to His will.  We do not know when He is coming and yet we need to be alert and be prepared to receive Him when that time comes.  To me, the "clothes" in this passage means my faith and spiritual dignity which at times I feel like abandoning because they all seem unnecessary in my day-to-day living dealing with all sorts of factors (too many to handle it seems).

[A] Passages like these bring out the deepest aspects of being a follower of Christ because it requires endurance, patience, and hope to wait for that unknown moment of His returning to take us home.  I want to be ready at that moment and run this race strong and firm every day.

[P] Dear Jesus, I long for the moment of Your coming back and give me strength and reminders like these to hold on to the faith You desire for me to cling on to.  As this year ends and look forward to the upcoming new year, may my faith continue to grow through ups and downs of my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Christ Came in the Flesh

[S] 2 John 1:7 --
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

[O] This passage seems very appropriate for Christmas -- the coming of Jesus in human form of a little and helpless baby to do God's ultimate will to save us.  In the busy-ness of this season this core message can easily be lost in the shuffle of all things.  In fact, when we look around we see less and less of the word "Christmas" mentioned during this season which points back to this passage again about how the works of the deceiver is at its height (and climbing).

[A] This thought of the the antichrist roaming the earth deceiving more and more people's hearts to believe that we don't need God (Jesus) is alarming and as I look into 2012, I want to keep my personal appointments with Jesus every day to hear the real truth to have it settle into the deepest parts of my heart such that I won't be persuaded by the deceptions of this world and to further fight the battle with like-minded Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

[P] Dear Jesus, thank You for coming in the form of a helpless little baby in order to relate to us to convey the truth of God's amazing love to us while you didn't have to do all that.  It is that love I will cherish and draw closer to You even more.  Happy Birthday to You!  In Your name.  Amen.

No Minimum Requirement

[S] John 15:2 --
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

[O] After carrying out certain actions for some time it is so easy to forget about the purpose that was set forth in the first place. Living out my Christ-following life often falls into this mode for me and Jesus' proverb reminds once again the ultimate purpose is to bear much fruit which God is pleased with.  In fact, short of bearing Godly fruits, I am bound to bear fruits which pleases our enemy.  From what Jesus goes on to say, there is no minimum requirement in bearing God's fruits because no matter the quantity or quality, He will increase it by taking care of me (pruning) -- I just have to get it going.

[A] So many times, I get swept up in the whirlwind of task management, I lose focus of why I'm doing everything and bearing God's fruit falls to the bottom of the list.  I need not be too concerned about the "project management" but be more intentional about spending my energy to produce His fruits.

[P] Dear Jesus, as I abide in You more and more through my personal time with You, please instill in me a focused mind to bear much fruit for You rather than spending all my energy on non-essential things which seem important and yet only temporal.  In Jesus' name.  Amen

Beautiful Trinity Gospel

[S] 1 Peter 1:2 –

2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

[O] I see a beautiful harmony of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit in this passage.  My heavenly Father who according to His original master plan continues to pursue after me – who by the way keeps on wandering away from His plans -- by initially sacrificing His Son so His blood is used as the covering of my stupidity and then perpetually works in my life through His Spirit in order to sanctify my life while living in this world.  This is the wonderful message of the gospel.

[A] As the Christmas is nearing not only I should be meditating more on the meaning of Jesus’ coming to this world in order to carry out the above plan, I also need to manage my mind so I am not sucked into the whirlwind of busy-ness with a ton of activities during this time of the year.  I will thank my God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit every day so that my spirit will not lose focus of the meaning of this season.

[P] Dear Jesus, Your coming into this world as a meager man just to pave the pathway for me to return to God is the key for my life’s meaning.  May my life display that and overflow into other people’s lives around me.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Un-Shrinking Act

[S] Hebrews 10:39 --
39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.

[O] Every so often I get stuck in a dead-end street and feel like all I can do is to shrink back and hide from everything but this passage reminds me that I belong to a group of people who live by faith to preserving of the soul not withstanding any obstacles in the way (not because I am so powerful, but because of my faith in the one who is bigger than anything that stay in my way).  The concept of shrinking back vs. going out without any hesitation refreshes my soul.

[A] Whenever I hit that dead-end street, I need to turn to this verse and un-shrink and bounce forward in God's glorious strength working in me.

[P] Dear Father, thank You for promising me to be the one bouncing forward in Your name.  I want to trust in You and to grasp that promise whenever I tend to shrink up.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Honor from God

[S] Hebrews 5:4 --
4 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.

[O] I once read a book titled, Disciples are Make, Not Born because of the catchy title and this passage reminded me of that book because just like how disciples are made through a process of character building, honor is also something that takes time to earn and given by others.  At times, honor is confused with popularity because both is recognized by others, however, the honor begins with God's calling.

[A] Aaron was called by God into the position of leading His people and they honored him as God's priest.  In my life's purpose, I need to take a moment and think about where I stand before God; where He has called me into His service in honor of His name.  This does not mean I have to be like Aaron, but more of a conviction of knowing where God has called me to serve Him.

[P] Dear Father, show me the way for me to serve You with the maximum output from my life You instilled in me.  May it be with honor for Your name's sake as I ask in Jesus' name.  Amen.

The Secret is Out

[S] Romans 16:26 --
but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;

[O] This secret has been made public now do all to attain this faith in God through the amazing sacrifice of Jesus. However this world struggles to grasp on to this truth. In fact, it seems to abhor such a wonderful news. To me this is a simple proof of how hard our enemy is working to confuse us on order not to accept God's gift to us.

[A] Don't give up. Keep on passing the good news. Let God be lifted up.

[P] Dear God, may this wonderful secret unlocked be known by more and more people. May the come to knowing You as their King.

Restoring Honor and Dignity

[S] Romans 12:10 --
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;

[O] Brotherly love is so critical in this society in or out of Christian community because that is the glue which holds us together.  When we lack the brotherly love, then it will lead to everyone looking out for themselves only and the community cannot be established.  Brotherly love begins by giving each other preference in honor.  I feel that the honor and dignity is a lost art these days and hope that the believers would set good examples of restoring that art.

[A] In 2012, prayerfully work towards having more and more Brothers and Sisters in Christ in our small groups to give preference to one another in honor.

[P] Dear Father, please let our church community overflow with brotherly love for one another as we continue to devote ourselves to Your word in 2012.  May Your Spirit shower upon us and lead us into restoring honor and dignity in the midst of us.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

From Word to Conviction through Holy Spirit

[S] 1 Thessalonians 1:5 --
5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

[O] The message of the gospel is not just words only but the power and conviction which comes from the Holy Spirit.  Likewise, partaking in God's ministry at church is much more than simply taking part in the activities or programs based on this passage because if the gospel is at the core, then the fruit of the ministry will be filled with people moved by the Holy Spirit's conviction as the fruit of our involvement.

[A] Whenever I am taking part of His ministry, I need to take a moment to make sure achieving sets of goals is not the ultimate purpose but to let the Holy Spirit convict the hearts of the people.  Much more than the words I speak, the Spirit must flow through what I say and do.

[P] Dear Father, please let Your Holy Spirit convict the people's hearts as I take part in Your wonderful ministry.  Let Your Spirit shower down the power to move our hearts closer to You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Whose House Are You Staying At?

[S] Matthew 26:6 --
6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper,

[O] Who I spend time with identifies a portion of my life's purpose.  Jesus stayed at the home of Simon the leper.  I am not clear from this passage whether this was a leper whom Jesus healed already or that he was still a leper but most importantly Jesus was staying at his house.  This challenges me to think about whose house I stay at, or spend time with.

[A] Taking a step forward to participate in the Angel Tree program to deliver some Christmas presents to a family with three children who's parent is incarcerated.  I want my family to model what Jesus did here.

[P] Dear Father, I pray that our step of faith here to reach out to this family will be under Your blessings and guidance.  Please send Your Holy Spirit to these three children's hearts so when we actually get to meet we'd all be wrapped around by the Spirit and be praising You together and as the gospel is presented to them they'd be open and accept Your grace. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Vaccinate from Virus of Grumbling

[S] Matthew 20:11,15 --
11 When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?'

[O] Especially during this season of Thanksgiving this passage highlighted the criticality of how grumbling can steal away the spirit of thanksgiving and replace with jealousy instead.  I recall the whole theme during the time of Moses leading God's people through the wilderness for 40 years.  The grumbling never ceased among them which became the root cause for their wandering and delaying His promises to be fulfilled.

[A] Before I start counting my blessings, I must vaccinate myself from the virus of grumbling because it will so quickly nullify the blessings into the downward spiral of envy and jealousy.  Identify areas my heart is grumbling and surrender them all at Jesus' feet.

[P] Dear God, I want to have my heart filled with thanksgiving leaving no room for grumbling.  Please continue to fill me with Your Spirit so I may be filled with giving thanksgiving for all the blessings showered upon me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Starts with Value of Life

[S] Matthew 14:8 --
8 Having been prompted by her mother, she *said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."

[O] This is the daughter of Herodias who by the wish of her mother requested another man's head (life) without a blink of an eye.  What a scary scene this is, and displays the picture of how critical the environment where a child grow up in.  There can be many factors but that child will either grow up valuing the life God gave starting with his/her own, or will not put any value on the life God provided.  This scene more and more depicts the situation of our world today where we are so far removed from the value of understanding the life God gave in all of us because we're so distracted by all the busy-nesses of this world.

[A] Keep teaching to my children the importance of God's life in all of us as well as in others.  And this is why we must "go" and teach as many people about the value of His life given through Jesus Christ out of His abundant love for us.

[P] Dear Father, please continue to ingrain the value of life in my children as that's where everything begins.  Without that starting point, everything we build is meaningless and in fact can be very dangerous.  Please purify my family members' hearts at all times.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

The Concept of Lordship

[S] Matthew 12:8 --
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. (KJV)

[O] The sabbath day is nevertheless a system that man made to recognize the rest God gave us and was a means to enter into His rest by refraining from other distractions.  However so many times we turn these means into an end as if observing that will please God.  Far from that.  God wants us to recognize who He is and how much He loves us.  He rarely cares whether we observe the system we have created ourselves.

[A] The meaning of the "lordship" is such a simple and yet so easily overlooked concept as Christ-followers probably because we really have not experienced what that means.  I've really never been a slave or a servant under a lordship and so struggle to live a life under a lordship of anyone, especially under Jesus Christ.  I need to make it simple -- just let Him rule over my life in every area.

[P] Dear Jesus, please be the Lord of my life.  I lay it before You.  In Your powerful name.  Amen.

Faith that Rocked Jesus

[S] Matthew 8:10 --
10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.

[O] What a statement from Jesus!  This centurion's faith marveled Jesus not because of his knowledge of the Bible, or how much he gave to the poor, but because he was able to apply the simple truth of authority which he was familiar with.  He wasn't even a Jew (i.e., who knew a lot about God).  He converted his practice of authority to believing in Jesus as the one with the full authority.  He gave Jesus the blank check.

[A] First I felt jealous about the centurion's faith getting the praise from Jesus.  Then I realized how selfish my faith comes down to be.  I really need to learn how to empty my own agenda in order to fully recognize His authority over my life and all that's around me.

[P] Dear Jesus, my faith may not get get such a praise as this centurion but may my faith stay pure, sincerely seeking to bring out Your authority in my life as I ask in Your name.  Amen.

Secret Agent

[S] Matthew 6:4 --
4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

[O] The secrecy here is from other people and the reason is because we ought to give to God (through our hearts first) and no one else needs to know about it.  Or another way to look at it is, if I give in "secret" then God has to be the only audience and that's the type of giving God honors.


[A] Once again, when I give my time and efforts into God's ministry, I must give only to God first.  I should not even think about trying to show off to others how much I am giving.

[P] Dear Father, I want to give You my heart and nothing but that to please You and to receive Your reward mentioned in this passage.  May this life be a secret agent for You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen

There Is Always Another Path

[S] Matthew 2:12  --
And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

[O] There is always another way to handle the situation especially when i am on my own pathway. That new way is God's way. The key question is whether I will recognize God's intervention for me to take that alternate route or not. Most times I am so deeply involved in my own plans and executions I will oversee or simply ignore His small voice calling to make the next turn into His ways.

[A] God's overpowering love for me will outweigh any and all of my mistakes on life because just like how He guided the wisemen to change their courses He would do exactly the same for me. in order for me to recognize this is for me to be I constant communication with Him so that I won't miss His cue.

[P] Dear God may my heart be softened to hear and recognize Your guidance for my life. Even through my mistakes and oversights may this heart be flexible to change the course upon Your commands. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Needed: Spiritual Vaccine for Our Children

[S] 2 Corinthians 11:14 --
14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

[O] This is a clear warning to watch out for deceptions of Satan in this world we live in because it is very real.  One thing after another, the master of deception is eating away the freedom we have in Christ by twisting the truths to make us believe it is harmful to us.  This is very sad and yet as Paul pointed out, something we cannot avoid and we must be awake at all times to separate God's truth from the deceived truths in this world.

[A] It seems every year, the degree of confusion get worse and worse which means our children's generation is going to have a very difficult time distinguishing what is from God vs. from Satan (the disguised angel of light).  Since I cannot possibly immunize my children completely against such virus, I need to totally rely on the Holy Spirit to protect and lead my children so they'll know how to stand up for THE TRUTH in the midst of the storm of confusion.  I need to pray for each of my children daily so that their spirit will be sharpened toward God.

[P] Dear Jesus, would you warp Your Spirit around my children at all times so that they would always be fully aware of Your truth in their hearts?  May their time at home with the family be the equipping ground to recognize Your voice so when they are on their own, they would simply continue to do what they were doing at home to bring glory to Your name.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Whom the Lord Commends

[S] 2 Corinthians 10:18 --
18 For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

[O] Just like in Olympics, no matter how much the athletes themselves may feel like they deserve the gold medal, it is the judges' scores which will determine the winners.  Likewise, it is the Lord who will commend those He deems worthy according to His "scores" and there is no exception.  Many times, I feel like I deserve a bit more recognition for how much I served in His Kingdom, but my feelings do not matter at all.  In the end I must submit to His leadership and the commendations which come from Him alone.

[A] Stay humble in my services in His ministry, especially when things seem to go well.  Let the Lord commend.

[P] Dear Lord, please be the Lord of my services for Your Kingdom.  May it flourish because You are in the center of it all; but let it not go to my head but instead bring me to my knees in prayer more and more.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Carry the Dying of Jesus

[S] 2 Corinthians 4:10 --
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

[O] Initial reaction to this passage is a bit gloomy when I think about carrying the (dead) body of Jesus and it would be if the story ended there.  However, the death which represents the suffering He went through before the crucifixion is a preamble to the resurrection and that life of Jesus can only be present in my life through his death first.  So, unless I carry the death of Jesus in my body, there is no chance for me to have the life of Jesus.

[A] What is the dying of Jesus in my body?  It is humbleness toward others, forgiving those who hurt me, and sacrificing my comfort for the sake of His kingdom. These are heavy loaded concepts and I gotta take a break now just to meditate on how I will have to do this.

[P] Dear Jesus, as Paul stated, may I die to myself so that Your power of life may dwell in me forever.  In Your name I ask. Amen.

Dying Full of Days

[S] Job 42:17 --
17 And Job died, an old man and full of days.

[O] What a blessed life Job has led here on earth.  The key operative here is "full of days."  I want to say that at the end of my life, too -- I lived and died full of days.  Job's life was going pretty well until he was tested and all of his possessions were removed; and then with his un-helpful friends, Job went through some serious time of contemplation but came out of that with the right heart before God who eventually blessed Job materially as well as spiritually so that he would die as an old man, full of days.

[A] Not that it'll matter to me after I die, but I do want to be leaving behind a legacy to my children that living a life full of days in Christ is the most important thing one can live for.

[P] Dear Father, mold my life so that I would live my life full of days according to Your will.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Refresher of the Spirit

[S] 1 Corinthians 16:18 --
18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.

[O] I am jealous to be such a person who may refresh other people's spirit.  On the other hand, I should be grateful for those around me who refresh my spirit.  If we refreshed each other's spirits, how wonderful would it be to witness such a community.

[A] Building up a church community has many aspects but there is none other higher than to be contagiously refreshing each other's spirits and begin to shine the Light of Jesus through that.

[P] Dear Father, thank You for placing those encouragers around me to uplift my spirit whenever I lose my spiritual altitude.  May I also be the one to lift others up for Your name's sake.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Lordship of Jesus Brings Peace and Order

[S] 1 Corinthians 14:33,40 --
33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner. 

[O] These days I am so overwhelmed with activities after activities, at times I am really confused as to where I need to be when.  Even my responsibilities in ministry, I feel the same.  But Paul's writing here about when God is on the move, there is no confusion, and done in properly and orderly manner.  One indicator to look for whether God is in the center or not is the presence of His peace (no confusion), and things competed in orderly fashion.

[A] Whenever I get lost in the sea or confusion or out of order, then I need to take a break and come to the Lord and ask Him to be in the center.

[P] Dear Father, please continue to work through my life in orderly manner so that everyone would know it is You who are at the command central of my life and all of its involvement.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Only for the Common Good

[S] 1 Corinthians 12:7 --
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

[O] The Holy Spirit's presence and manifestation through my life has one purpose -- common good.  This means it's not for my own selfish reasons.  There is nothing I can do on my own for the sake of God's will here on earth, so putting these two together, it's very clear that what I do for God should be for the common good.  There is nothing in God's kingdom that I should leave (engrave) my own name with so I'd better get my mind focused on the right perspective when I do God's ministry.

[A] I desire God's Spirit to reveal in my life, but before asking for that, I should set my heart such that all I do will be for the common good and not just for my own self.

[P] Dear Father, please let Your Spirit manifest in my life and by doing so, may my life give You the glory and then edify the community I belong to.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Slave with a Clear Purpose

[S] 1 Corinthians 9:19 --
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.

[O] Paul realized he was set free by Christ's death on the Cross, but he he made himself a slave to all others by his choice because that would allow him to win more souls for Christ.  This is the mentality of a sold-out Christian and a model worthy to follow after.

[A] I am so busy trying to "get away" from many people that I really had it backwards.  I need to first find a way to serve Christ's purpose in my life and foundationally this is to win more souls.  So if I need to make myself a slave to all to fulfill this purpose, then I shouldn't be afraid to do that.  But I am....

[P] Dear Jesus, may my life first find the purpose and goal that you desire for me to attain, then let me think about pursuing my own plans.  Please use my life to the fullest to win more souls for You. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Evidence of His Kingdom

[S] 1 Corinthians 4:20 --
20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.

[O] As the phrase, "Pictures are worth thousand words," God's power is worth million words to describe the presence of His kingdom.  At the end of the day, more than what I say or write, it's the evidence of God's power which serves as the stamp of approval of His kingdom in the midst of us.  No matter how great things may look, without the evidence of His power working, it'll all end up being man's own power.

[A] Stop trying to explain too much but pray and ask for God's power to show up in my life.

[P] Dear Father, send Your power in my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Even God Waits for the Fullness of the Time

[S] Galatians 4:4 --
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

[O] God's timing is the best timing and He will without mistakes carry out His will according to His perfect timing at all times.  So, waiting for and recognizing His perfect time (or fullness of the time) is one of the pre-requisite to carrying out God's will in my life.  If God had to wait for the fullness of the time before sending His Son to our world to carry out His will for us, there is no exception that I would have to wait for the fullness of His time also.

[A] How I long for things to happen on my own terms and timelines.  I must submit to His timeline and learn to know when the fullness of His time arrives for me to take proper actions.  There are some pending items in my life for which I've been seeking a right timing and based on this passage I am going to see if the fullness of time came for me or not.

[P] Dear Father, You know what are the areas in my life which need patience to wait for the fullness of Your timing.  Please grant my heart to not get anxious or complacent but be on the alert for the fullness of Your time.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Don't Let Agency of Man Get Ahead

[S] Galatians 1:1 --
1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

[O] Paul's introduction is very simple and yet very powerful and significant because he does not associate himself not with earthly organizations but to Jesus Christ and God Himself.  I'm not sure how many times I catch myself associating with the ministry organizations that I am connected with more significantly than to Jesus Christ and God Himself first.

[A] I need to recognize what Jesus had done at the Cross which established the significance of my relationship with Him before anything else takes place.  This way I would have the right attitude like Paul did when he interacts with others, especially other Christians.

[P] Dear Father, allow me to be in Your presence at all times so I may have to right heart and attitude to represent You and not the agency of men that I belong to.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

First, Go!

[S] Mark 16:20 --
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.]
[And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. ]

[O] Remembering from the retreat speaker last weekend, "going" (in this case "went out") is what I was drawn to in this passage.  If they hadn't gone out in the first place, there "won't be any preaching, no where."  Because they went out, the Lord worked with them and displayed signs to encourage their faith.  After going, they also returned and reported all the excitements they witnessed.  And then after that, Jesus Himself moved through them to proclaim the eternal salvation everywhere.  This progression of His working in us simply because they went out is very simple and yet powerful lesson as I take part in His ministry.

[A] I need to spend some quality time with God on where I need to "go" PERIOD.  The rest will be history.

[P] Dear Jesus, please reveal in my heart the direction and the place I need to "go."  I want to be used as Your vehicle to carry the eternally good news to as many people as I can.  In Jesus' name I ask.  Amen.

Everyday vs. Fulfillment of Sripture

[S] Mark 14:49 --
49 Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures."

[O] As Jesus spent every day with the people teaching, mingling, and talking with them, the Jews had ample time to take Jesus away but they came to Gethsemane at night with a squad of soldiers to arrest Him in order to fulfill God's words.  It is not what happens everyday that matters, but what God's fulfillment of His words that matters most and I must focus my mind in seeking for God's fulfillment in my life.

[A] What I do daily -- going to work, raising children, handling tough situations, etc. -- will be just that; how I lead my life in order for God's fulfillment to come through is what will matter in the long run.

[P] Dear Father, may Your promises come true through my life because I would be moved by Your Spirit to obey Your words in the Bible.  May I not be too worried about what's going on around me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

But He Knows the Way I Take

[S] Job 23:10 --
10 "But He knows the way I take;
When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

[O] Job states that he is unable to track where God is working no matter how hard he tries, but he know for certain that he will equip him to come forth as precious and pure as gold to uphold His purposes in this world.  This comes from a man who had just lost everything he treasured for no specific reason and struggled through listening to his friends' blaming him for what he deserved.  He is not going to try to understand everything but to recognize God's purpose for his life and his commitment to live it out.

[A] Not even close to Job's experiences of loss and turmoil, but as I face challenges after another in my life, I should not try to understand everything but to glorify God for equipping me to handle His purpose designed for my life -- and be satisfied with just knowing that.

[P] Dear Father, I'm so grateful for Your preparing my life despite the difficulties I may run into.  May I not focus on the difficult situations but to You O God for doing the wonderful things even if I do not see or understand them.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Just Shake Off the Poison

[S] Acts 28:5 --
5 However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.

[O] I get a smile on my face every time I read this passage because Paul casually shakes off a viper (not just a small snake) that just bit his hand and goes about his own business as usual.  Last time, he just got up after being stoned to death (so his disciples thought) and came right back to the city again and went about his own business.  His striking focus of doing God's will makes all other non-essential things to phase out of his mind.  He did not even get scared when that viper was hang on his hand.  I mean, I surely would have freaked out.

[A] Paul's calmness when he was put into life threatening situations teaches me about not only should I be cool in those situations I may face, but be completely sold-out for doing God's ministry such that I would not be concerned with any other disastrous situations because my faith in my God who is bigger than anything I will face.

[P] Dear Father who transformed Paul the way he is now, please transform me as well such that I would be sold-out follower of You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Considered to be Out of My Mind

[S] Acts 26:24-25 --
While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus *said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad.” 25 But Paul *said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.

[O] Paul's service to God's gracious plan of salvation was received as a crazy thing in the eyes of those who do not yet understand His wonderful plan. as stated in 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 it is foolishness to them. What's crucial for me here is the fact that Paul did not do this in secret such that others consider him to be our of his mind, putting all of his sounding education to waste. how am I doing on this department? Am I trying too hard to fit into the mold of the social norm?

[A] I only have a limited time here on earth to be the voice of God regardless of how much longer that would be for me. One of the indicators for me to know how much of a sold-out life for Christ I'm living here would be to see how often this world will label me as out of my mind because I am so seriously serving God.

[P] Lord Jesus I'm shameful to not risk my reputation for Your name's sake here in this world that You brought me into. I want to model Paul's all-out way of living for Your saving Grace without holding anything back. May You take my life to use it as Your mouth piece for others to hear Your heart towards them. In Your name. Amen.

Getting Up Even After a Rocky Day

[S] Acts 14:20 --
20 But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.

[O] This passage is so "Paul" because I can just picture Paul being stoned by the Jews to think he was dead but he just gets up and returns to the city and then leaves on a mission trip the following day as if nothing had happened to him.  To Paul, it was just another new day for the Lord whether almost stoned to death or not.  This is so "Paul."

[A] While I certainly do not wish to find myself being stoned by oppositions, I at times feel likewise and just want to walk away from it all but Paul's determination and purposeful way of carrying out himself for the expansion of His ministry encourages me again and again, just like the Eveready bunny.  I, too, need to get up again and refocus back to my purpose and take the next step with my co-laborers in Christ one day at a time.

[P] Dear Jesus, may Your Spirit continue to guide me and strengthen me to be like Paul, the spiritual Eveready bunny, who keeps on going until Your ministry expands beyond the walls of our own limitations.  I give You praise for being the source of my energy.  In Your name.  Amen.

Out of My Limitation into God's Infinity

[S] Acts 10:19-20 --
19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you.20 But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself."

[O] The fact that angel of God sent Peter whose obedience caused the works of the Spirit to explode in the midst of the Gentiles is significant for me here because even though the angel go there himself and do this he chose Peter as the instrument to carry out this task.  It is very intriguing for me to see that while God and angels may not need us, we are still invited into the execution of His plans and it is our obedience which will engage us into the fabric of His plans.

[A] I need to stop separating my own limitations from God's unlimited domain because that will make me smaller and smaller and in the end make me impotent with my life.  God wants me to maximize my life to the fullest the way He designed me so anything short of that is really a sin.

[P] Dear Father, I praise You for making me the way I am and I cannot wait to see how You are going to use me and my family members.  Please continue to nurture us with Your patience so one day We will glorify Your name by being the right instrument as Peter was in this passage.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Even God's Chosen One Needs an Obedient One to Enable Ministry

[S] Acts 9:15-16 --
15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."

[O] Recognition of His chosen instrument to partner in His ministry can be very powerful as we see here Ananias fearfully obeying the Spirit to go pray for Saul who God had chosen to carry out His plans.  God's chosen one still needed an obedient heart to enable his ministry and that is where the power like dynamite kicked in.

[A] Recognize God's chosen instrument and despite what I may feel, obey to join forces so that dynamite explosion of God's power will take place for His ministry's sake.  Be the Ananias to a Saul.

[P] Dear Jesus, make me an "Ananias" to a "Saul" in my surrounding.  May I put aside my fears or doubts and shift into obedience so Your wonderful power may be released to miraculously carry out the big plan You have for our ministry here at our church.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Hand Check

[S] Ezra 7:28 --
28 and has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king's mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to the hand of the LORD my God upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

[O] I am trying to picture when the hand of God is upon a person and although nothing specific comes to mind, my heart is filled with an awe just thinking about it.  How wonderful it is for His hand to be upon a person and His strength passes into the person's heart in order to lead others to carry out God's plans here on earth.  The beautiful part is that when God has His hand on someone, He has a purpose to use that person's life to bring forth His wonderful plans (Jeremiah 29:11); another way of saying this would be unless God has His hand on us foremost we cannot carry out His plans on our own.

[A] It's time for a "hand check" to see if God's hand is on me in order for me to carry out His wonderful plans in the ministries I'm a part of through my life.  Go no further until I confirm His hand holding me.

[P] Dear Father, may Your hand be upon this forgiven prodigal not because I am so good at what I'm doing but because as the one indebted to Your grace being carried by the strength which comes from Your hand on my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Under God's Orchestration of Harmony

[S] Ezra 6:19 --
22 And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

[O] This passage opens up my scope of God's influence of people is far greater than just the believers.  He indeed has full control over the world we live in, with the lives of all people.  The LORD caused them to rejoice and turned heart of the king of Assyria (Gentiles) to encourage His people.  God actually brought harmony for believers and non-believers to collaborate to carry out God mission on earth.

[A] Even when I am faced with a challenging relationship issues with others, I must trust that God is in full control and He will turn the hearts of me and others to encourage each other because this is God's ways.

[P] Dear Father, as my life intertwines with many people in various walks of life, I am vulnerable to relational issues to deal with and they are not very fun or easy.  I am so grateful for Your message here about how, in the end, You are the one brining to harmony of all the people here and I must surrender my struggles to You.  Please let me be in You grace and experience the wonderful power of that saving grace work through my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Life Filled with Laughter and Joyful Shouting

[S] Psalm 126:2 --
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter
And our tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
``The LORD has done great things for them."

[O] Wow!  This is a true picture of a true worship by the people recognizing how great God's works are in the midst of them.  Without this recognition our worship can easily be just a ritualistic events because God is left out of the picture.  God is left out when we do not see what He is doing and that leads to not rejoicing with laughter and joyful shouting.

[A] Every day, I need to "count my blessings" and to "rejoice over what God is working in and through" my life.  Without such a practice, my relationship with God will be dead.

[P] Dear Father, I gladly rejoice for what You are doing in my and my family members' lives.  You're continuously working to mold us and to prepare for future ministries You designed for us to participate in. May this laughter, joyful shouting of my tongue be the fuel for my spiritual life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Dig Around and Fertilize

[S] Luke 13:8-9 --
8 And he answered and said to him, `Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"

[O] The vineyard owner was fed up with not finding any fruit from this fig tree that's been barren for three years and wanted to cut down the tree.  But the vineyard-keeper persuaded the owner to let it grow for the rest of this year and to wait next year's harvest time and see if it'll bear fruits; if not, then he will cut it down.  The ultimatum still existed but he was willing to use the time he requested to nurture and fertilize through his caring in order for this tree to bear delicious and sweet figs the following year.  Our days are numbered in God's timeline and the judgment day is unavoidable, however God's grace if extended to the last minute for us to bear the spiritual fruits He designed for me to bear.

[A] I don't know what is but the vineyard-keeper's heart touched me as I read "until I dig around it and put in fertilizer" because that is not a simple task.  It may have been his commitment to care so that tree won't perish too soon. I gotta have the same mindset when it comes to participating in His ministry -- beyond and above our own limitations, having the "until I dig around it and put in fertilizer" mentality towards those He had entrusted under my care.

[P] Dear God, I'm just amazed how You chose to work through me who is so inadequate.  May my heart soak up this vineyard-keeper's heart which is the heart of Jesus Christ our Lord toward me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Dressed for Readiness

[S] Luke 3:1 --
35 ``Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.

[O] I get dressed every morning and at times I ponder long enough to decide on what to wear in accordance with my day's activities.  I sure wouldn't want to wear a formal attire when I'm about to go play some soccer.  Likewise, I need to spiritually plan and dress up accordingly to what I am about to face.  Well, every moment is going to be challenging because our opponents will not leave us alone but attack us relentlessly, so I must be dressed in readiness and keep my lamps lit to take action at all times.

[A] This starts with how alert my mind is.  I need to dress up my spiritual armor every morning before I start the day.

[P] Dear Father, may You dress me up every morning to be ready to respond to Your calling as well as to our enemy's attacks.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Accusers are Standing Very Close To You

[S] Zechariah 3:1 --
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

[O] No matter how much God's power is at work, Satan never rests to take cheap shots at us to discourage us.  Here we see how Satan standing next to Joshua accusing him of wearing the filthy clothes so he won't be available to receive God's grace of replacing that clothes with fine new clothes.  So many times, Satan reminds me of how unfit I am to do anything for God.  While that is a true statement, God is not going to leave me in that state but to renew me by His saving grace so that I may be more than worth to carry out His plans here on earth.

[A] Continue to dig into God's grace whenever I hear the voice of Satan accusing me of how unworthy I am.

[P] Dear Father, I'm so grateful for making me worthy to become Your son and to do your will here on earth.  May You always be praised through my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Live a Life with Full Authority Given

[S] Luke 10:19 --
19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

[O] I am given a powerful authority in this world to tread over the enemy's power and I will have 100% protection from God.  The key is not how much authority God gave me but how much of my life reflects such an authority in my daily living.

[A] Live a confident and powerful life with authority over all the enemy's power.  I need to remind myself how much authority God has given me to live in this world.  So, let's use it!

[P] Dear Father, thank You for empower me with such a great authority over the enemy.  Thank You also for protecting me.  I feel I'm getting beat up these days by the enemy but I will claim this word from You about not getting injured at all.  I am going to stand up for You and to shine Your light in this world.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Minimizing Myself to Maximize God's Power

[S] Luke 9:3, 6, 24 --
3 And He said to them, ``Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. 6 Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

[O] Dr. Luke recorded Jesus' teaching about minimizing what I have in order to maximize God's presence and power (v.6).  The statement: "Take nothing for your journey ... do not even have two tunics" challenges me who has so much stuff and gathers even more to feel secure about my future as well as doing God's ministry.  These disciples who "took nothing" in their missionary journey reached the surrounding areas bringing God's power of healing everywhere.

[A] The focus is not necessarily having less, but making room to fill more of myself in God's power through the filling of the Holy Spirit.  This passage convicts my heart to re-examine to see how reliant I am on God's sole providing power to carry out His ministry in and through my life vs. relying on my own provision because the former will let God produce amazing results while the latter will end up with most toys of my own but not much fruitful in God's eyes.

[P] Dear Jesus, even though very difficult, I want to "take nothing" on this journey of my life with You so Your power may transparently flow through touching others.  Please hear my prayers.  In Your name.  Amen.

One Loud Shout for God

[S] Ezra 3:13; Luke 8:39 --
13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.
39 ``Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. 

[O] The amazing sound described here is the people's response to setting the foundation of the temple in their efforts of rebuilding it.  They could not hide their excitement just after seeing the foundational work completed and signifies a time of realizing how great their God was and how He will keep His promise of restoring His people back to the temple of God.  In Luke, Jesus tells the man released from demon possession to go back and proclaim greatly what Jesus had done for him -- testify.

[A] When God moves in the midst of His people, there ought to be testimonies with a resounding sound.  If not, there is something missing there -- God Himself -- because all the noise will be about one human running into another.  I want my life to be full of His testimonies being shouted out so others will know that God is indeed alive in my life.

[P] Dear Jesus, please continue to work in my life.  Please continue to show Yourself in me.  And please forgive me for being so silent about what great things you are doing in and around my life.  I give You the glory and also the loud shout of thanksgiving in total excitement.  May You be lifted up tomorrow during our Sunday worship service.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Good Seed of Leadership

[S] Luke 6:12-13 --
12 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.13 And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles:

[O] Building up a leadership of people to lead others is one of the most critical factors in parking in His ministry abundantly because without these leaders the ministry will not scale up to reach the world.  There are many models on how to reach the world but they all start with a good seed of leadership.  No wonder Jesus went off to the mountain to pray all night talking with God before choosing the twelve of them.  These twelve at first look seemed unfit to carry out such a daunting task (and some failed miserably) but in the end we know that these chosen by and through prayer did just that of turning the world upside down.

[A] In a position to raise and train small group leadership, I am more than challenged to follow His footsteps.  Why is that I am not praying more in this area?  I need to cut out the distractions and get down to business.

[P] Dear Father, I come to You now as a wake-up call to seek Your direction and guidance in raising up small groups leaders in our church.  I do not want to rely on my own (or other people's) thoughts and feelings but to spend the quantity of time with You so my heart will be totally immersed in Your Spirit to be led by Him.  Thank You for choosing a prodigal like me to be used for ministry.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Often Slip Away

[S] Luke 5:16 --
16 But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

[O] When people were overwhelming crowding Him in, Jesus would "often" slip away alone to pray.  I have to conclude that: 1) He needed some time alone to Himself; 2) He chose the wilderness an environment suited for being alone; 3) He recharged Himself through prayer.

[A] I feel I am being pulled from so many directions these days I also need to follow His example of slipping away alone to pray.

[P] Dear Jesus, I want to follow Your model to recharge my spiritual life and ministerial energy to serve others better.  Please give me insight to take this time away into the wilderness to spend the time with You. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Returning in the Power of the Spirit

[S] Luke 4:13-15 --
13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time. 14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.

[O] This passage is loaded.  Jesus defeated the devil's temptation and returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit and we see the result of when we do God's ministry in the power of the Spirit -- spreads wider and wider (Acts 1:8).  And unlike the worldly popularity, Jesus went right back to teaching God's word in synagogues and doing that was praised by all.  In light of all this, the devil has only retreated until an opportune time to strike again and again.  I believe that opportune time is when we try to carry out His ministry in my own strength and power.

[A] As part of the church leadership, this fundamental way of carrying out God's ministry challenges me because when we're up against some tangible and difficult obstacles in ministry (i.e., the devil's temptation), it is very easy to be discouraged and get down to doing things "my way."  However, after Jesus deflected the devil's attacks, He returned in the power of the Spirit.  So, I need to make sure that I overcome these obstacles with the power of the Spirit and doing just that spreading wider, not how great my plans have been executed.  As we have a challenging situation in our hands now, I need to take this passage to heart.

[P] Dear Jesus, You know very well where we are now, in fact, You allowed us to be in this situation so that our faith in You will grow and to rely only in You and not our own strengths and wisdom.  Please continue to encourage us and to unite our hearts to move forward.  I pray for my pastor and his heart to be uplifted by the indwelling of Your Spirit.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

God Wrote on My Wall

[S] Daniel 5:3 --
3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them

[O] This story reminds me of Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10 -- who were consumed by fire when they offered strange incense in their firepans which God had not commanded because here Belshazzar used the utensils set aside to be used in God's holy temple to have his own enjoyment totally disrespecting God.  And He wasn't too happy about that and let him know by sending an email scribed on the wall.

[A] The key point here is when the my pride elevates myself above God, anything I do will be out of dishonor and that's the part God will dishonor Himself.  I need to take every act seriously when I am before God -- which by the way, is at all times.

[P] Dear Father, I praise You for being the God of holiness who require nothing but holiness in Your presence and my praise goes to You abundantly because even though I am far from fulfilling Your requirement to approach You, You accept me as I am because of Your Son's sacrifice in place of me.  Now, as long as I keep that in mine and align myself to such a humble attitude before You, I will be enjoying the presence of Your amazing grace and love.  In gratitude I pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Fruitfulness In and Out of Season

[S] Ezekiel 47:13 --
12 "By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."

[O] This description of this river is like the Spirit of God flowing through this world where on its river banks are abundance of life and fruit continuously (every month).  This spiritual fruit does not come in and out of season just like the fruits we enjoy eating but it's always available as long as that river of Spirit flows through from the sanctuary.  What a wonderful and beautiful picture this paints in my mind.

[A] I'd like to think that I bear the spiritual fruit in my life as I continue to strive to be planted by this river of Spirit however I tend to cut my season short because constantly trying to bear much fruit is a lot of work.  I realized from this passage that all I need to do is to plug into the river and be nourished by its abundant flow of the Spirit because then my life will have no other option but to be fruitful in and out of season.

[P] Dear Jesus, I long to be plugged into Your river of Spirit flowing out of Your sanctuary.  May my heart be pursuing after Your word so that my heart would drink up the refreshing Spirit directly from the river.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Faith Through But

[S] Luke 1:6-7 --
6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

[O] Zacharias and Elizabeth were an awesome couple, wholesomely devoted to God.  They were respected in the community as leaders and their hearts were set to serve God, BUT they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and by this time, they were beyond the age of naturally conceiving a child.  God grants them a child and he grows up to be the John the Baptist who changed the course of history.

[A] It seems that whenever we set our hearts to serve God wholeheartedly, we run into what seems to be an obstacle impossible to breakthrough -- that is on our own terms.  This is when we might get stuck at the "BUT" and can't move pass to experience the God factor of unleashing the power of His purpose in our lives.  I am going to list my obstacles I'm facing now and surrender them to God such that He would fulfill His purpose through these "BUTs" in my life.

[P] God of awesome wonder and power, I surrender my life and all of my obstacles to You not just so You may remove them but so that Your power and vision may come to fruition as I stay my course and let You reveal Your plans through my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Spirit, Inner Court, and Glory Filled

[S] Ezekiel 43:5 --
5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.

[O] The sequence of: spirit took me up => brought me into the inner court => glory of the Lord filled the house reminded me that when God takes a hold of me I am brought into His holy presence and as a result of that His glory is filled (revealed).  God's spirit will not be at work for other purposes.

[A] Seek to be filled with His Spirit and look for His glory revealed through me.  All other results means my pride got in the way.

[P] Dear Father, please filled me and use me for Your glory.  Take me into Your inner court so I may gain insight into Your heart and be used by You here on earth.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Fearful Fertilizer to Fruitfulness

[S] Psalm 128:3-4 --
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table.4 Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD.

[O] I don't know the exact symbolism of the vine and the olive plants, but what I gather from the context is the sense of fruitfulness when a family fears the LORD.  In many ways than not, my focus (or purpose) of living out my life gets fuzzy with so much going on that I actually forget about how critical it is for me to lead my family to bear fruits of life and in a figure of speech, how I need to make sure my family members' lives are fertilized, watered, and pruned for them to be fruitful in and out of season.  This passage gives me a picture of abundance overflowing and that's the prototype family I'd like to help lead into as a husband and father.

[A] Calibrate my purpose of living such that my family will be prepared and nurtured to be fruitful in God's eyes.  We must stay humble and fear God at all times.  I need to learn how to prune out non-essential items from my schedule so I can dedicate my time to the most essential items.

[P] Dear God, please teach me to fear You at all times as the forerunner in my family so the rest of my family may follow me; even though asking this could boost my ego, I want to stay humble and pure of following after Your heart.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

No More Hiding Face

[S] Ezekiel 39:29 --
29 "I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD.

[O] God declares to His people about how He will no longer hide His face from them.  Instead, He will pour out His Spirit on the house of Israel.  God's word never fails and He never makes mistakes so this statement is really a powerful one because since that point on God will never give up on His people.  That is why Jesus Christ came to be sacrificed in place of our wrongful attitudes against God.

[A] His Spirit is already poured out on His people (church) and as I am part of that body, I am the recipient of His covenant of grace and mercy.  There is no doubt in this.

[P] Dear God, Your declaration of how You will never hide Your face from me is a great inspiration for me to carry on with my life, ministry, and career.  I am also so thankful for Your covenant because this means whatever happens to me, You will never let me go.  I love You and in gratitude I pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Not Just Another Song

[S] Ezekiel 33:32 --
32 "Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them.

[O] Even though Ezekiel spoke the words from God the people's hearts were skewed such that they interpreted to their own desires missing the whole point of God's heart.  Once again, it is not the lack of God's message, but the lack of people's hearts to receive them humbly.  This is especially true during singing worship songs where people can easily fall into just enjoying the music and not really focusing on the part about "worshiping" God.

[A] On our Back To Church Sunday this weekend, our church may enter into the true worship in spirit so that all who attend our services will not just take the whole worship as another "good" program.

[P] Dear Father, may Your name be lifted up this Sunday at our church as the members have been encouraged to invite visitors to come attend our services.  May there be no unclarity about Your message of love to all of us. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Competition vs. Companionship

[S] Daniel 3:19 --
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

[O] This passage brought back memories of the movie "Wolfman" where the person morphs from being a normal handsome man into the hairy wolfman.  Nebuchadnezzar must have gone through this significant alteration of his facial expression when he heard Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego upholding their position with their God of Heaven above him.  More so than the anger in him, I believe the ugly image of our enemy is what surfaced in him, and that's probably the case with me, also, when my pride escalates above God.

[A] Stay humble before God and look for what and how God is moving in other people's lives to rejoice with them rather than being jealous or competitive.  This is not a competition but a companionship with God for the rest of my life.

[P] Minimize me, Lord, and maximize Yourself in me so I will always reflect Your beautiful face and not have my facial expression be altered by the ugliness of my enemy.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Faithfulness Every Morning

[S] Lamentations 3:22-23 --
22 The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness

[O] Jeremiah's painful description of his condition is contrasted by God's unending lovingkindness and compassion.  Not only that but they are renewed every morning as He is faithful.

[A] Every morning should not be taken for granted as just another day to live (or struggle through) because despite my conditions God's love and compassion for me begins every morning for me, specifically for me.  I need to start the day with this thanksgiving and praise of His faithfulness for me and for my life to glorify His faithfulness no matter what happens throughout the day.

[P] Dear Father most awesome in Heaven.  May my heart be aligned with the amazing faithfulness You pour into my life everyday.  May each morning begin with my utmost praise to You. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Look Around, Reach Out and Fill the Emptiness

[S] Lamentations 1:2 --
2 She weeps bitterly in the night And her tears are on her cheeks; She has none to comfort her Among all her lovers. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; They have become her enemies.

[O] The description of the rebellious House of Israel is chilling.  Imagine having no friends; and worse yet, all of them becoming my enemies.  This type of isolation and loneliness is the outcome of God-less life and the insight God showed me here is how many people in this world (and those around me) must be like this deep inside their what-appears-to-be-fine lives.  Furthermore He is going to send many who are facing emptiness to our community so they may be pointed to God for them to be restored into a wholesome life in God.

[A] I need not get all caught up in the growing of ministry at church may it be the defining the small group structure or leadership nurturing because in the end it's all about embracing these souls running out of "wine" (John 2) so their relationships may be restored with God to live a full and abundant lives.

[P] Dear God, please continue to pour into my heart the love for the souls hurting from experiencing the emptiness mentioned in this passage.  As they are brought into our community, may I be good stewards to care and nurture them with the heart of Jesus.  In His name.  Amen.

Before Heading to Egypt

[S] Jeremiah 44:28 --
28 'Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs.

[O] For me, Egypt symbolizes a place where I want to run to for safety because its strength and protection.  This is fine and dandy but the issue is when I put these things above God's protection and strength for me.  I can easily fall into the mode of taking things into my own hands and calculating to find the most fortified place of rest while leaving God outside.  That's the picture from this passage for these people of God to take refuge in Egypt without understanding how she is nothing more than a nation under God's power and authority.

[A] At all times, I need to take a moment to reflect on my own decisions to see if God was indeed in the middle or not.  If not, no matter how good the solution may look it's only going to be an Egypt.

[P] Dear God, please guide me away from "Egypt" whenever I am up against challenges in my life.  May I trust in Your power and strength and protection at all times.  May Your story be revealed in my life at all times.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Using Faithfulness to Isulate My Faith

[S] 2 Chronicles 36:14 --
14 Furthermore, all the officials of the priests and the people were very unfaithful following all the abominations of the nations; and they defiled the house of the LORD which He had sanctified in Jerusalem.

[O] Leading up to this verse are the description of how everyone else rebelled against God, but "furthermore" highlights the fact that the priests and the people of God were very unfaithful to God as well.  My surroundings should never be an excuse for me to fall away from God however, I can also see how tricky it can be because when everyone else is doing it, I can deceive myself to think I can also hide in the crowd.  But God looks at my heart and that's one thing I need not forget because when I do, then I will defile the house of God which Jesus had built by going to the cross.

[A] It is my duty to uphold God's name despite my surroundings because if I don't then not only my life will suffer but my family, and in the end my Christian community.

[P] Dear God, I will continue to work on my faithfulness and not about doing something BIG because when I faithfully cling on to You it will eventually lead to something awesome and BIG.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Knowing the Truth Before Desolation Strikes

[S] Ezekiel 32:15 --
15 "When I make the land of Egypt a desolation, And the land is destitute of that which filled it, When I smite all those who live in it, Then they shall know that I am the LORD

[O] The fact that God is the Lord of this world is a constant that will not alter.  However, that unchanging fact will not make any impact in my life unless I accept it as truth.  And the moment I accept this will either be early enough to be under His grace or it will be too late and I will have to face the consequences of my unbelief.  In either case, in the end, I will know that He is the LORD.

[A] What the Bible states is going to stay true now and forever.  I need to believe it and claim it as my own truth now so that I will acknowledge Him as my Lord when His judgment is upon us.  I sure don't want to be like Egypt who rebelled God until He smote them before they acknowledged who God really was.

[P] Dear Father, awesome in power and how You give us multiple chances to get to know You as who You really are.  I accept You as my Lord daily because that is the truth which will not change.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Sweeping Through Like a Fire

[S] Ezekiel 20:47 --
47 and say to the forest of the Negev, 'Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not be quenched and the whole surface from south to north will be burned by it.

[O] While this fire may have been the consuming fire sweeping through, the power of God nevertheless is depicted here.  When His fire is kindled, there is nothing that's going to get in its way.  God actually gave me the picture of His fire of revival sweeping through our church as the Holy Spirit kindles our heart.  The flood gates are about to open up and God wants to move through our congregation.

[A] Continue to stay humble and keep focused on His cross of grace.  All the great things are nothing to do with our performance but His abounding grace poured into our congregation's hearts.

[P] Sweep through, Lord Jesus, in the midst of our congregation.  Give us the humble spirit to know that You are the head of our church and leading us into the wonderful presence of God.  May we praise and adore You!  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Even Trees Know that He is God

[S] Ezekiel 17:24 --
24 "All the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it. "

[O] Not only our lives and the nations we live in are under His full control, all the nature is also under His control which if you think about it makes a lot of sense because He created them all.  But I usually think about animate objects to be in under God's influence and not really consider (almost) inanimate objects such as trees will "know" that God is the LORD.  Additionally, while we should do our best to be good stewards of this earth we live in, we should also keep in mind that God is the ultimate source who will provide or take away the resources here and we should not fool ourselves of thinking we can determine its final outcome.

[A] If God can bring up or down trees in the mountains, I need to assure myself that He will also bring up or down what I pursue in life, what our church is pursuing, and what this world is (at least trying to figure out) what it is pursuing.  I need not try to play God in any of these areas but be the faithful follower of His movements.

[P] I praise You Father for being in full control of my surroundings, even to a tree.  To such a God, I surrender my life so that it will be raised up and be used to fulfill Your purposes here on earth.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Nevertheless Grace

[S] Ezekiel 16:60 --
60 "Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

[O] God mentions all the disobedient and rebellious acts by His people and says this statement of "nevertheless, ...."  To me this word has a ton of meaning because God nevertheless loves me and shows His grace to me even though I totally do not deserve all that from Him. Even though I do my best to comply with His ways I am so far from being perfect; in fact I fail on so many things it's not even funny.  Nevertheless God says He will remember His covenant of accepting me into His Kingdom and will be with me always.

[A] My faith must be founded in His "nevertheless" grace because without it I am only going to rely on my own works and that leads to death.

[P] Dear Father, Your amazing grace overwhelms me as I meditate on this passage.  Please continue to pour that grace into my heart such that I would serve others and You with the overflowing grace out of my heart. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

There is No Group Charter Salvation

[S] Ezekiel 14:20 --
20 even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness."

[O] Even these three spiritual giants were unable to deliver anyone else but themselves through their own righteousness.  Our faith is all about me and God -- one on one.  There is no group charter salvation.

[A] As much as I want to leave an inheritance for my children's salvation through my lifetime's actions, I cannot do that.  This means that I must do my best -- through prayers and admonition -- to implant the foundational value system of faith toward God in my children's hearts such that from such a seed their faith would sprout up and grow into their own fortress of faith anchored in God's grace and hope.

[P] Dear Father, I lift up my children to You now so that their lives will be drenched with Your grace and love and leadership even at their young ages now so that when they do go through some of the life's turbulent phases they would be anchored into the amazing grace of Your faithfulness.  Please guide them.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Tuning Into the Frequency of God

[S] Ezekiel 11:14,19-20 --
14 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
19 "And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

[O] As I am wondering how it would feel for the word of the LORD to come to me I am also reminded that God's word is with me all the time and it's about how I am going to recognize and understand what He says to me is the key.  Ezekiel was able to do this and the message of His grace and love mentioned in verses 19 and 20 is what was conveyed by him to God's people.

[A] God's word is with me literally through the Bible as well as the Holy Spirit.  So there is definitely no lack of His word around me but I need to catch the message He intends for me to hear.  And once heard, I need to convey that to others around me the message of grace and hope.

[P] Dear Father, transform my heart from the cold stone to the warm flesh which will allow me to walk in Your statues to realize that You are my God and I am Your son.  Please take my heart and transform it, Lord!  In Jesus' name.  Amen.